


Unsupervised

by SushiWestern



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Domestic, Drama, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Ghouls are non-human, Its Ghoul bonding hour, subtle hints of romances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-06 07:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17935466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SushiWestern/pseuds/SushiWestern
Summary: Cardinal Copia has to leave for five days to attend a meeting and he has no choice but to leave his Ghouls behind. Aether, the most tame of them all, takes the responsibility to look after them, but soon he sees himself tagging along in their plans. And rulebreaking.





	1. Day One

Work had no end for the Unholy Clergy. Even between tours, the Cardinal was busy with preparations and meetings to discuss his future as the next Papa. It was exhausting, but he had no choice. He worked hard for the church, for those Employee of the Month awards, but he wasn't going to stop now that he was chosen to be the frontman. The next meeting would be held quite away from the church, and that meant staying off-town for a while. But the problems had just begun. Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil, who were going to escort Copia to the meeting, asked him to leave the Ghouls behind. 

"We want to make sure everything goes smoothly, Cardinal" she said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder "and I'm afraid that if we take the seven of them, they will just slow us down". 

"No offense, but your Ghouls are not as tame as they are required to be in order to leave the church unsupervised" Papa Nihil spoke clearly and added, before Copia could speak. "Yes, unsupervised. We have a lot of work to do and we won't be able to watch over them".

The Cardinal's eyes examined the both clergy higher-ups, trying to process everything they told him. Taming the Ghouls was something he never fully understood: they were creatures from the underworld, what was the point of getting them to behave like humans? Or worse, as living statues that just followed the Papa and played instruments on tours, like the ones who followed Emeritus I and II. No, Copia wasn't like that: even if he had instructions from the clergy to fully tame his followers, he also liked the idea of letting Ghouls be Ghouls. A happy Ghoul is the key to clergyman-demonic creature coexistence. Both the Papa and Sister dismissed him shortly after: it was time to tell them the news.

When he opened the door to their recreation room —it was important that the Ghouls had one in order to lower their stress levels from touring—, he witnessed the reason why he considered banning them from playing UNO. Dewdrop was hissing threateningly at Swiss for pulling out a Draw Four on him when he was at the verge of winning the game and both Aether and Rain were trying their best to hold him back; Mountain and the two Air Ghoulettes just resumed with the game as planned, ignoring the threats and enjoying themselves as if nothing happened. The ruckus ceased when the Cardinal cleared its throat for the fifth time to announce his presence.

"I have some news for you" Copia started, "my presence is required quite far from here and you are not allowed to come..." He stopped when he heard a few gasps and saw the terrified grimaces on his Ghouls' faces. "No, no... I'm not leaving you for good. It's just a meeting". 

"That's what everyone says before they disappear forever" Swiss shrugged while picking up the cards the shorter Ghoul had knocked over during their small fight.

"No, don't get me wrong, it really IS a meeting" the Cardinal continued, tying to pick the best words to make the announcement as harmless as possible. "And the old man asked specifically for no Ghouls. Satan knows what kind of things you would do in a place that you don't know without anyone from the clergy to watch over you".

"And you're leaving us behind at the church unsupervised? Isn't it the same?" Rain looked up, sad blue eyes meeting with the Cardinal's.

"The church is the safest place for you to stay and of course there will be supervision. The Siblings of Sin will come now and then to make sure you're on your best behavior" Copia resumed before looking at Aether. "Plus, this Ghoul over here will make sure nobody gets into trouble".

"Why him?" Dewdrop complained with a growl. "Why not me?"

"Because you're most likely to get into trouble" Cirrus teased him, only to receive a hiss as an answer. She hissed at the Fire Ghoul back and Cumulus had to step in.

"No. He is the most tame of you all and the one with most human knowledge" the Cardinal gave everyone a look before turning at the door. "I'll be away for five days and, oh, one last thing: make sure to clean after yourselves, eat properly and don't forget to feed my rats. I'll count them once I get back". He knew Swiss would try to eat some of them: he caught him once. After saying goodbye with a bow, shimmying his way out of the recreation room and closing the door behind him, the Cardinal walked towards his chambers to get himself ready.

The recreation room was in complete silence, some of the cards still sprawled on the floor. The Ghouls exchanged confused looks, some of them didn't even know how to feel. It was the first time they were left alone without the Cardinal. They promised to stay in their best behavior but, at the same time, some of them wanted to do things that they weren't allowed to do when their frontman was near. Of course it was Aether's turn to take over Copia's role as the 'caretaker', but he knew it wouldn't be easy. He too wanted to tag along.

"So..." Mountain was the first to talk, helping Swiss clean up the card deck "...what are we going to do? Plus, it's almost dinner time"

"Alright, alright, don't worry, I've got this" Aether stood up, hands on hips. "We should distribute tasks first and then we'll discuss about fun activities".

"You know Dew is banned from the cooking shift, right?" Cirrus shook his head towards the smaller Ghoul.

"What was wrong with my experimental cuisine?" the Fire Ghoul frowned.

"Let's be honest: the ones who actually know how to cook are Aether and Mountain, so they should take the cooking shift" Cumulus placed herself between Dewdrop and Cirrus to avoid further conflicts. "I can help them out".

"So, Mountain, Cumulus and I take the cooking shift" Aether took a piece of paper and scribbled it down "Swiss, Dew and Rain take the cleaning shift".

"Good luck, Dew is terrified of the vacuum cleaner" Swiss laughed, only to let out a yelp as the fire Ghoul hit him with his elbow on the arm. "Come on, it's true!"

"Then, Rain cleans the rooms, Swiss does the laundry and Dew does the dishes" Cirrus also stood up and scribbled the new tasks down "I'll take care of the rats".

Soon, they all scattered around to their tasks. Dinnertime was almost there, so the three Ghouls from the cooking shift headed for the kitchen. Copia usually prepared all of their meals and brought them on a dining cart to their recreation room. The Ghouls usually had a dining hall for themselves, both for church employees and musicians, but there have been a few noise complaints coming from fellow Siblings of Sin regarding the Cardinal's followers. It wasn't breaking news, Emeritus III's Ghouls received the same complaint years before. The trio crammed up in the kitchen and began discussing what to do to satisfy their bandmates' hunger. Aether suggested a veggie plate, but Cumulus insisted on treating themselves with some stew. It was finally Mountain's turn to take sides.

"Pizza" the large Ghoul shrugged. "I've heard that humans love it, so it must be good".

"I can't believe that the Cardinal has never treated us with pizza before" the shorter Ghoulette brought a hand to her chin. She just hoped that Aether caved in.

"Alright, but just today" the Quintessence Ghoul sighed and rummaged the kitchen looking for the ingredients. They weren't allowed to get out from the church and he wouldn't be the one to break the golden rule. Of course he could have asked a Sister of Sin to call the pizza delivery, but he didn't know if they brought pizzas to churches. It would be weird too. 

Mountain and Cumulus found a spot on a counter to settle down the ingredients and start sorting them out while Aether pre-heated the oven. He would choose the toppings while the other two worked on the dough. On the meantime, the rest of the group were in the recreation room. Cirrus finished feeding Copia's rats and was telling everyone what was the Cardinal's sleeping chamber like while she helped Swiss fold bedsheets. For now, she was the only one allowed in there. Rain and Dewdrop were setting up the table when the Water Ghoul had an idea.

"Why don't we have a sleepover?" he suggested, excited blue eyes meeting his bandmate's.

"A sleepover?" the Fire Ghoul tilted his head. This meant carrying the mattresses from the Ghouls' chambers to the recreation room and probably gossip and play games until they fell asleep. Oh, and the snoring. Mountain snored like a bear, there was no way he could handle that. It was already difficult to do so during a tour. But Rain seemed so excited about it that it made him feel bad. "Sounds like a good idea".

"I thought you hated them, since you told me to fuck off several times during the last one we had" the multi talented ghoul folded one last bedsheet before walking over to the table.

"It wasn't a sleepover, it was in the tour bus bunks" Dewdrop clarified with a sigh. "I was exhausted from the show, I just wanted a good night's sleep and you wouldn't shut up with your late night thoughts".

"I found them pretty funny and interesting" Rain added, glancing over at Cirrus. "Should we bring the mats?"

"Yes. And maybe a lantern so we can tell scary stories" the Ghoulette glanced over the two remaining bandmates. "Hey, we could use a hand in there. We have seven mattresses to carry"

"We are Ghouls, what should we be scared of?" the Fire Ghoul asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Vacuum cleaners" Swiss replied.

The table was set, the mattresses were brought into the recreation room and soon, the rest of the Ghouls walked through the door carrying the dining cart with the huge pizza. Aether thought it would be nice if he brought a salad as well —he still promised Copia the Ghouls would eat properly under his watch—, but he was the only one who actually paid any attention to it. In fact, he ate the whole tray by himself. Dinner carried out smoothly, everyone enjoying themselves and the food, and the Quintessence Ghoul was starting to think that they could, in fact, survive on their own. 

Once the table was removed and the dishes were done, it was time to lay on the mattresses. It was then when they realized the recreation room was smaller than they thought. The entire room floor was just one huge bed. Aether sat up on his mattress and insisted on continuing making plans for the four days left alone they had. However, his suggestions always involved staying in the confinement of the church and the Ghouls were curious creatures. They wanted to see what was the world like beyond the stone walls and the shows.

"No" Aether scoffed. "We will get in trouble if any clergy members see us sneaking out. We should stay inside".

"And do what?" Swiss asked. "Play UNO? Poker?"

"The last time we played Poker we did it by your rules and Rain ended up bare-assed and crying, so no" Dewdrop nudged the Water Ghoul's shoulder with the side of his head. "if you want us to stay in, then go get us something interesting to do besides improvisation sessions and card games".

"You know what we should do?" Cumulus glanced over Cirrus, who was filing her claws next to her. "We should get a TV while the rest have their little outdoors adventure. At least we won't earn a lecture from the Cardinal".

"Actually, a TV would be a nice idea" the taller Air Ghoulette nodded at her partner's suggestion. "But if we borrow one from the Siblings of Sin, they would notice. We should go out and buy one".

"Do you want to go outside too, right?"

Cirrus nodded again and Cumulus rolled her eyes. It was better to let the idea of sneaking out cool off. Mountain was already dozing off, so he just let himself plop on the mattress and fell asleep on the moment. The gesture caught everyone off guard: six pointy tails jerked at the loud 'thud' sound and relaxed when they heard the faint snore coming from the Earth Ghoul. Even with the chatting from his other bandmates, he didn't wake up. Swiss scooted closer to him as he continued joking and sharing his late night wisdom regarding ties being arrows pointing at the owner's genitals.

"Now I understand why the Cardinal makes us wear them" Aether replied, slowly setting his head on Rain's lap. He noticed that Dewdrop was resting against the Water Ghoul's side, purring softly and nuzzling his arm. He always did that when he was drifting off to comfort him and prevent any nightmares. Or that's what the Fire Ghoul told everyone. "Did Rain fall asleep while sitting again?"

"No, I'm awake" the Water Ghoul jolted and shooed both Aether and Dewdrop off him and added, with a yawn. "So, are we getting a TV tomorrow?"

"We could go to the mall and see" Swiss shrugged while lying down next to Mountain.

"The mall is a big place and I'm sure most of us would get lost" Cirrus interrupted, pointing her file at Swiss and Dewdrop. They were always prone to run away. "I suggest buying it in an electronics store".

"Why don't we steal it?" The Multi talented Ghoul asked. "Nobody will suspect anything"

"Well, you have a point" Cirrus replied "I don't think the humans would believe that a bunch of hellish creatures wearing masks and suspenders just stole a TV from a shop".

"Remember that, to humans, we are just fellow humans playing 'dress up'. They are not supposed to know that, in fact, we are Ghouls" Aether warned. He wasn't very fond of the idea of stealing, but he knew himself. He always ended up tagging along his bandmates no matter what. "Now, it would be better to hit the hay. We have a lot to do tomorrow".

The Quintessence Ghoul was the last one to switch off the lights and head to his mattress. It was difficult to walk without tripping with someone. Soon, the ambient was filled with content purrs and the Earth Ghoul's obnoxious snore, fading away when Aether drifted off.


	2. Day 2

Sunlight rays filtered through the stained glass windows of the recreation room, filling it with a kaleidoscope of colors. Aether opened his eyes and glanced around, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar place. Right, they had a sleepover the day before. At some point of the night, everyone seemed to abandon their mattresses and carried their blankets to a massive cuddle pile. The recreation room got quite cold at this time of the year, with the stone walls and no heater... The Quintessence Ghoul sat up and took a better look around him: it turned out there were only five of them in the cuddle pile. He climbed up the stairs leading to the bedrooms and stood there for a minute when his ears perked up, hearing a running faucet. It was Rain. He took a two-hour bath every morning without exception —just a normal thing for a Water Ghoul— and he didn't want to be disturbed.

Aether thought it was time for the rest to get up: they were going to have a busy day filled with simple church chores and shopping for a new TV. When he got downstairs, Swiss was sitting up on the mattress, wiping drool off his chin. There was also a wet spot on Mountain's shirt. The Quintessence Ghoul walked over and waved at him with a huge grin on his lips.

"Was Mountain comfortable?" he asked.

"More than you think. He's like a giant bear" the Multi talented Ghoul gave his large bandmate a last look before getting up. "So, are we going to wake them up?"

"I was going to bang pans and pots, but the Clergy would be mad if they knew I used them for mischief"

"Hold up, Aeth. I have an idea".

Swiss climbed upstairs, opened the cleaning room and came back down with the vacuum cleaner. It was a terrible, terrible idea, but it will provide some quality laugh material. The multi talented Ghoul plugged it in and turned it on, the sound being enough to jolt Dewdrop awake and have him back away against the wall, hissing and growling at the appliance. The taller Ghouls started laughing uncontrollably and soon, the Air Ghoulettes and Mountain sat up on the mattresses asking what was going on. The Fire Ghoul was furious, so he grabbed his pillow and tossed it against his goofball bandmates.

"You're dead meat!" he yelled, his hands shaking still from the shock.

"Hey, hey, keep it down, would you?" Cirrus tossed her pillow at Dewdrop before she got up, followed by her partner. "Why do you piss him off if you know the consequences?"

"Because it's funny" Swiss replied, a smirk still on his lips.

Mountain rose from his mattress and held the Fire Ghoul back before he resorted to violence. All this energy and noise at six in the morning was too much for him, who wasn't exactly an early bird. He growled, slightly annoyed, before putting Dewdrop back on the floor and dragging his feet upstairs to get dressed for the church duties. Silence invaded the room, the rest of his bandmates soon joining him and heading to their respective rooms. 

Aether was rethinking the whole 'being able to survive on their own' thing as he fixed his tie. It was the second day and they already had a conflict. He would have to step his 'leader' game up and think: what would Copia do? Well, the Cardinal swatted them with a newspaper when he knew his Ghouls were being brats. He hated that, but it worked. However, he won't be the one using those methods. He would think about that later.

Cumulus and Cirrus were the first ones to be downstairs, all ready for the ritual and the rehearsals. Soon, the rest of the group joined them and they were about to leave when the shorter Ghoulette stopped on her tracks.

"Where is Rain?"

"Don't tell me he fell asleep in the tub again..." Dewdrop muttered before stomping back upstairs. It would be the best if it was his 'best friend' who interrupted the Water Ghoul's bath, since he usually got pretty pissed-off if someone else did.  
The Fire ghoul's steps could be heard on the second floor, as well as the door creak, then silence. Seconds later, a high-pitched 'IS IT THAT LATE!?' echoed through the walls, accompanied by the drainage of water. Before the Ghouls could realize, Dewdrop was back on the first floor again followed with a very flustered Rain. Aether chuckled, placed a hand on his shoulder and lead the way out.

\--

It was past noon when the Ghouls were free from their duties. The Quintessence Ghoul knew it was time to sneak out of the church and he was feeling uneasy. He made sure his bandmates looked as human as possible —tucked-in tails and reminding them not to hiss and growl at each other in public— but he had a bigger problem. Anyone in the church could bust them and tell the Cardinal about their mischief. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he too wanted to see the outside beyond rituals and the tour bus. There were many things he wanted to do. Once they were outside, though, he was struck with a brilliant plan.

"Ghouls, if we want to make it out unseen, we should take the backyard" he explained. "There may be a few Siblings of Sin hanging around, so we should create a distraction".

"What do we do, set something on fire? It would gather more attention than we need" Dewdrop waved a hand in dismissal.

"Using elemental powers is a good idea, but we need to get everyone indoors" Mountain added, lifting a clawed hand to his chin and then looking down at Cumulus. "A downpour would be nice".

"Wait a minute, big guy" Swiss interrupted. "None of you have combined powers before. Are you sure about it?"

"I'll do it" Cumulus lifted her chin up and took a step to the front. "We won't know if it works if we don't try it. What do you think, Rain?"

Rain's ears perked up when he heard his name. He was rather terrified of trying to do such thing especially when the Cardinal wasn't near. Dewdrop scooted closer to him and nuzzled his head against his arm to calm his nerves, and maybe persuade him into carrying out the distraction plan. He finally obliged with a shy nod.

The Air, Fire and Water Ghouls held their hands together and closed their eyes. Rain was able to cast a large water orb and Dewdrop began boiling it up with his heat. Cumulus brought it up to the air until a large, grey cloud formed in the sky. The sound of thunder began echoing on the sky and so the downpour began. The Siblings of Sin hanging out on the backyard soon rushed inside and it was then when Aether decided they were good to go. It was amazing that it worked on the first try, he even considered showing it to Copia once he came back. However, he would ask too many questions and the Quintessence Ghoul would end up telling the truth.

The town was quite lively, even if the weather wasn't as good. The group sure gathered attention due to their outfits and masks, but they played it cool. They wandered around, looking at store windows and thinking about buying half of the goods displayed there. Mountain stopped in front of a flower shop and walked inside, followed by Swiss. Dewdrop made his way into a music store to browse vinyl records with Rain and Aether was left alone with the Ghoulettes. There would be just the three of them to go buy the TV.

"I'm kind of worried something happens to them" Aether sighed, looking around.

"Mountain and Rain are responsible enough to hold their boyfriends down" Cirrus replied, giving the Quintessence ghoul's arm a squeeze. "They should be fine".

"I think the boys will behave better in public than you think" Cumulus added. "It's not that different than dealing with fans".

They were right, Aether thought. After a few more minutes of roaming around the streets, they finally found an electronics store. The clerk's eyes widened when she saw them coming in and considered calling the cops, but the group didn't do anything bad yet. It was just how they looked like.

"Hello sir and madams" her voice trembled, but she tried her best to keep cool. "Do you need help with something?"

"Yes" Aether replied. "We're looking for a TV".

"Oh, excellent!" she clasped her hands together. "What resolution would you like?"

Resolution? What was that? The Quintessence Ghoul and the Ghoulettes shared confused glances, then looked back at the clerk. She just assumed they didn't know.

"Well... do you know the size?"

More silence from them. Cumulus stepped in and just told her that they would just follow the clerk's recommendations. The woman soon bombarded them with explanations about each device's resolution, screen size and how they should get a smart TV in order to get access to the latest movies and series. Oh, and also buying a soundbar since the TV's audio quality wasn't as good nowadays due to their thin screens. Aether had enough of blabbering.

"We'll take the cheapest".

"Oh, that'll be 500 bucks".

500 bucks for a TV!?, he thought. It was time to get naughty. His clawed hand hovered the clerk's forehead, her eyes turned completely white as he stole her spirit. The Air Ghoulettes grabbed the device and walked out of the shop, sounding the robbery alarm. Aether was startled and soon gave the clerk's spirit back, following Cirrus and Cumulus into an alley and disappearing in sight. At some point, the Quintessence Ghoul was separated from the group and ran into the main street, where he last saw his other bandmates. He was still thrilled from the events at the electronics shop, so he walked inside the music store to distract himself.

Dewdrop was still browsing the vinyl records, still undecided about which one he liked more —Rain had wandered out of the shop a while ago claiming that he was getting tired of waiting—. Aether approached the Fire Ghoul from behind and wrapped his large arms around his shoulders, softly purring. The music playing in the background made it inaudible to anyone else but them.

"What are you getting?" he asked the smaller Ghoul.

"Everything in this world costs money, so I think I'm leaving empty handed" Dewdrop huffed. "I'd kill for one of those, though".

"Then steal it. The Ghoulettes and I just snatched a TV".

The Fire Ghoul turned his head to his taller bandmate in confusion as he slid the record inside his tailcoat.

"I can't believe you're making me do this!"

"Let me be the bad guy for once and run!"

That was easier than expected. When they stepped outside, they saw that the clouds were dissipating and rays of sunlight were brightening up the front of the buildings. Mountain and Swiss were sitting down on the bench, chatting, and Aether saw that the Earth Ghoul had a bouquet of roses sitting on his lap. Maybe he bought them for the Multi talented one.

"Did you steal those too?" the Quintessence Ghoul asked.

"No" Mountain shook his head. "Someone gave us money just to see Swiss dance. I think they knew us".

"And you bought him flowers?" Dewdrop tilted his head.

"No. These are for me".

"I don't like flowers" Swiss shrugged. "They don't taste good".

"They don't WHAT!?" the Fire Ghoul let out a yelp that attracted a few looks.

Cirrus and Cumulus eventually joined them, still carrying the stolen TV under their arms, followed by a soaked wet Rain, who claimed that he was playing with the fishes at the fountain and fell inside. Everyone knew he just jumped in because he loved water. Aether decided it was time for them to go back to the church grounds. They already caused enough trouble to the townspeople. When they reached the backyard, they saw a group of Siblings of Sin calling out for them. They must have been looking for them the whole day. Aether turned to his bandmates and told them to hide and hold back, that he was going to deal with the talking. He approached the nearest Sister of Sin and waved his hand.

"Where were you? The Cardinal called asking for you and you were nowhere to be found" she told him, her voice a clear sign that she was annoyed.

"I'm so sorry, Sister. We were, uh..." his hands behind his back gestured to the other Ghouls to go back inside. "We were playing hide and seek on the church grounds. The Cardinal lets us have some fresh air now and then".

He didn't know if they were allowed to do that, but for now, it worked.

"Fine, but please, call the Cardinal" she sighed. "He seemed worried when I told him you Ghouls weren't in your quarters".

The Quintessence Ghoul nodded and ran back to the building, towards the recreation room. His bandmates were already setting up the TV, even if most of them had no idea of what they were doing. Swiss was in charge of the instructions, but he was too confused by the huge variety of human languages available that he wasn't helping much. Aether shut the door and went to Copia's office to return him the call. The Ghouls already assembled the device, but connecting cables was a pain. In the end, they managed to finish setting everything up and turned it on. It worked.

When Aether came back to the recreation room, he found the rest of his group in a sleepy cuddle pile while the TV was broadcasting some toothpaste commercial. He guessed they won't be having a movie night that day, since everyone seemed too tired to actually pay any attention. The visit to the town was an exhausting experience and he felt pretty worn out too. He plopped himself next to Dewdrop, wrapping his arms around him and slowly dozing off thanks to the Fire Ghoul's warmth.


	3. Day 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up: a "mischief of Ghouls" is my way to refer to a group of them.  
> I also wanted to introduce to someone Special in this chapter ;)

Cumulus slowly opened her eyes as a hand shook her arm. Cirrus was kneeling next to her, and she leaned towards her partner to rub her head against her shoulder, purring loudly. The shorter Air Ghoulette opened her arms for her partner to come and snuggle her, but Cirrus refused. She needed to talk to her. The taller one stood up and walked towards the recreation room table, pointing to the vase and the bouquet of roses resting on top of it. It came with a card too, directed to Cumulus. Her eyes widened as she read the card. The words written on it were touching, written with a perfect calligraphy.

"Did you get those for me?" the shorter Ghoulette turned to her partner.

"I... maybe?" Cirrus hesitated. No. She wasn't the one who got the bouquet, but she didn't want to shatter the smaller one's heart. Cumulus dropped the card and wrapped her arms around her, purring excitedly.

Mountain was awake the whole time. It was him who bought the flowers the day before and yes, he wrote the card himself. He got up during the night to set them up, so the Air Ghoulette would wake up to a perfect gift. But his heart sank inside his chest when Cirrus took the credit. That is what happens when somebody has a crush and doesn't tell anyone. He just got up and walked upstairs to his chamber, slightly annoyed and avoiding eye contact. He needed some time alone. The Earth Ghoul lied down on his empty cot, not caring if he was uncomfortable, and sulked for hours. 

Downstairs, his bandmates got up, fed Copia's rats and were ready to attend to their duties and chores for the Unholy Clergy and their rehearsals. However, there were only six of them. Again.

"I'd kill for a day when everybody is here on time" muttered Dewdrop, adjusting the collar of his tailcoat. 

"Who is missing now?" Aether scanned each and every one of them and noticed that it was the Earth Ghoul this time. "Can somebody talk to Mountain?"

"We're going to be late. Why don't we just tell them he's feeling sick?" replied Rain.

"A sick Ghoul can sound off the alarms of the clergy" Dewdrop cut him. "Let's just say he overslept. Or even better, we don't say anything unless asked. Then, we let Aether do the talking as always".

The Quintessence Ghoul rolled his eyes, but his bandmate was right. The group nodded and left the room in a hurry. Of course the missing Earth Ghoul rose a few questions from the clergy members, but Aether handled the talking pretty well. It was always best to let him make up the necessary excuses and lies. At least, his sounded genuine. Rehearsals weren't the same without him marking the rhythm —Swiss had to take the place instead—. It was time for the Ghouls to get involved. Swiss was the one who came upstairs to cheer his bandmate up. He knocked at the wooden door, but no reply came from inside. With a gentle push, he let himself in and saw the large Ghoul still curled up in a fetal position on the empty cot.

"Hey!!"

"Leave me alone"

The Multi talented Ghoul's smile faded away as he heard those words. It was the first time he saw Mountain like that and he felt a lump in his stomach. He slowly approached the cot and sat down next to his bandmate.

"Look, I don't want any trouble..." he said, a hand reaching to the Earth Ghoul's head. However, he wasn't sure if he could pet him. "What happened?"

"I bought the flowers for Cumulus, okay?" Mountain huffed. "Then, she thought Cirrus did. It hurts and I don't like it".

"I know how you feel, I too have unrequited feelings for someone. Why don't you just tell her the truth?" Swiss started stroking his bandmate's head. He didn't look like he was going to bite him anytime soon. "I mean, having a crush is pretty normal and she adores you as a friend. I'm sure she will understand".

The Earth Ghoul sat up and stared at him with sad eyes. He felt bad for ruining their day. The Multi talented Ghoul leaned against his shoulder and began nuzzling him and purring to let him now he was going to be fine. Mountain pulled him closer to a hug. It was maybe the first time he felt so comforted and he didn't want to let him go.

"Hey, let's go downstairs and talk to the girls" Swiss let go of him and placed a finger on his lips. "Don't worry, everything is going to be just fine. I'll be with you".

He could be a dork, but Mountain knew that deep down, his bandmate had a heart made of gold. He even stayed by his side when he explained everything to the Ghoulettes —Swiss thought that Cirrus would get jealous, and an angry Ghoulette is extremely dangerous—, but everything came out as fine. Cumulus held the Earth Ghoul's hand sheepishly as she gave him one of her best smiles, telling him things will stay as they were and that he could keep on sending her flowers. It would be something she will treasure forever.

"Can we stop playing UNO so we can have our movie night or the drama hasn't finished yet?" Dewdrop interrupted, tossing a Draw Four card to an annoyed Aether. "Jeez, what are we, kits?"

"Be nice, Dew" the Quintessence Ghoul replied. "It's better that we solve these things. We need to stay together as a team to prove Copia we can behave on our own".

"Are we seeing a movie or not?"

Rain just walked in carrying two buckets of pop corn. One day, he heard Aether mention that humans went to cinemas to see movies and they ate those snacks while enjoying themselves, so he paid the kitchen a visit on his own. He had a proud look on his face.

"How did you find those?" Swiss asked. "Where do they keep it!?"

"I went to the kitchen and asked nicely. I burnt the first package, the second one exploded, then I started crying and a Sister of Sin helped me with the microwave" the Water Ghoul placed the buckets on the mattresses and, after that, he sat down. "I will never use one of these again".

The mischief of Ghouls got together, everyone carrying their blanket into the snuggle party, and Aether turned on the TV. Commercials, game shows, sitcoms, cartoons —Rain wanted to keep that channel but nobody else did—, more commercials... and the worst thing was that it was always the same toothpaste commercial with that catchy tune. A few of them started humming it absent-mindedly while the Quintessence Ghoul was skipping through channels. They finally found something of their taste: a poor-scripted horror movie about some killer chasing people that could have made better decisions while escaping from him.

"I can't believe a human sat down and thought that making this movie was a good idea" Cirrus commented, pointing at the screen. "It is terrible made, the blood is clearly fake!"

"Of course it's fake, they don't even hide the fact they used ketchup!" Swiss complained. "Now I'm craving something with ketchup. It doesn't go well with the pop corn, right?"

"Shut the fuck up and watch!" Dewdrop was way too invested in the movie, sitting with the knees to his chest, hands under his chin and swaddled in his blanket between Rain and Aether.

Now the killer was chasing after a stereotypical college student running with high heels. It couldn't get worse. After voting, the Quintessence Ghoul changed the channel. Lots of sighs could be heard, happy that the thing was finally over. Dewdrop snatched the remote from Aether's hands, he too wanting to give a try at finding something decent to watch. He stopped at some documentary about unsolved mysteries...

"Finally, something decent" he mumbled.

...of the Bible. When they realized, the cuddle pile transformed into a hissing mess, some of them fighting to get the remote and change the channel. Bambi came on the screen and they let out a sigh of relief in unison.

"I was terrified for a second here" Aether shuddered, pulling both Rain and the Fire Ghoul closer to him. 

"Leave this on. What could go wrong with cartoons?" the Water Ghoul asked. 

Yes, the movie seemed harmless until the scene with the hunters. When Bambi began calling for his mother, Rain was already in tears and shouting that everything was wrong with it, so he changed the channel. Cirrus took the remote from him to give it a try. Again the toothpaste commercial with the catchy tune, again the general humming. The tall Ghoulette soon found something to everybody's common interest: a better-scripted horror movie. 

Seven pairs of eyes were hypnotized with the screen. It was a long, suspense scene where the protagonist wandered around the haunted place. The group flinched when, in the film, the wind slammed the door shut. At this point, everybody was pretty much clinging to each other. That suspense scene was longer than what they imagined and just when the Ghouls were the most off-guard, an image of the villain chasing after the protagonist flashed on the screen as well as a loud screech.

There were not many things that could scare a Ghoul off, they were demonic creatures, after all: they've seen Hell and beyond. However, unexpected scare-jumps were enough to drive them up the wall. Aether quickly grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, hands shaking as Dewdrop and Rain hid their faces against his chest while screaming. Swiss and Cumulus did the same to Mountain and Cirrus, who always got quite worked up when feeling attacked, grabbed a pillow and threw it against the device, knocking it over. Thankfully, it fell down on a mattress and it didn't break down.

"Movie night was a mistake" she concluded, her hand brushing her fellow Ghoulette's shoulder as an attempt to comfort her.

"I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight..." Aether added.

A loud knock on the recreation room door made them lose it completely. Hissing, growls and screeches echoed in the stone walls as Aether threw a blanket and a pillow over the TV. A Ghoul with a stone mask covering his entire face entered the room, his green eyes examining the Cardinal's ghouls in confusion. The Quintessence Ghoul recognized him: it was the one they called 'Special'. He thought that they would have sent him with Copia.

"Um... is everything alright here?" the Special Ghoul asked. "I've received noise complaints and I was just checking out".

"Yes, yes, don't worry" Aether replied, his voice still shaky. "Someone stepped on someone else's tail and..."

"We stole a TV yesterday and we were watching movies!" Swiss shouted, still clinging to Mountain's shirt. "Please, don't tell Copia!"

Special dropped his shoulders. He honestly believed that they were killing each other and it turns out they were just entertaining themselves. Wait, did the one who played the tambourine just say they stole a TV? He screwed up. He promised Papa Nihil, Imperator and the Cardinal that he would keep an eye on them, and then work started piling up and ended up neglecting them. What a terrible disciple he was.

"I won't" he finally responded "Only if you don't tell anyone I haven't been here daily. I was supposed to watch over you and I forgot".

"Don't sweat it, dude" Aether waved his hand at him in dismissal. "Do you want to join us?"

"I'd rather not. I have places to be and things to do. Please, keep your voices down" Special said before closing the door behind him. 

The group sighed in relief. They always thought that Special would be like the first two Papa Emeritus' Ghouls: scholarly, disciplined and bad-tempered but he came out to be as chill as the rest. One of a kind that didn't allow his position as a spokesman of the Unholy Clergy to get to his head. Aether removed the blanket and the pillow from the TV and set it up again. From now on, horror movies were forbidden. 

"I think I had enough of this crap for today" Dewdrop snatched the remote before anyone else could and left it on the table. "We've spent the whole afternoon in front of the idiot box like humans would do".

"We should get something for dinner and try to get some sleep" Mountain rose from the mattress and headed towards the door. Cumulus followed shortly after. "You coming, Aether?"

The Quintessence Ghoul nodded and closed the door behind him. He would be in charge of the meal and that meant they will be having veggie plates. The Siblings of Sin treated him like some inspirational poster boy for the smaller Ghoul kits to make sure they ate their greens and he had to keep up with his reputation. The room was filled with an awkward silence while everyone munched on their meals, still remembering the movie they saw hours before. They were convinced that nobody was going to sleep that night.

"I think that nothing will be able to erase that image from my head" Cumulus spoke, her voice trembling a bit. "We can't pull an all-nighter either, we have things to do in the morning".

"Don't humans use drugs for that?" Cirrus asked, her eyes scanning Aether.

"I don't know if human medicine works for Ghouls and I don't want to test it" the Quintessence Ghoul replied. "What do we do when one of us has nightmares?"

"We cuddle in bed, but what if EVERYONE has them?" Rain asked. He felt secure when someone held him during the worst moments of the night but not even that would work in that case.

Mountain's eyes widened. Sometimes, he liked to visit the nursery often just to see the Ghoul kits —it was relaxing, he claimed—. He saw countless times older Ghouls reading to them in order to help them forget about the teething pain and sleep peacefully. He barely remembered anything from his younger self, but he had vague memories of a book that the Special Ghoul had which always got them to doze off in a matter of seconds. He told the rest of his group about it and they immediately remembered.

"Do you think Special would read to us now? We're adults" Dewdrop huffed. "And what if it doesn't work?"

"Mountain is the only one who came up with a solution, so let's give it a try" Cumulus came out to defend the Earth Ghoul's idea, which he appreciated.

Special had an office just for himself. It was filled to the brim with large bookshelves, a desk and a lamp resting on it. Sometimes, the desk was barely visible due to the amount of paperwork he had to do. His ears perked up when he heard the knock on the wooden door and he told them they could come in. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Copia's Ghouls standing there, half dressed. Again, they left the talking to Aether.

"Sorry to interrupt, are you busy?" he asked, fiddling with his fingers as if he was ashamed to ask the favor.

"I can put it off for later. What do you need?" Special rose from his chair and approached the group.

The Quintessence Ghoul felt too embarrassed to ask and took a step back. Mountain took his place instead.

"Can you read us that book? You know, the one that used to make us sleep"

The older Ghoul chuckled and opened one of his desk drawers, pulling a thick book with a burgundy cover without a title nor an author. He followed Copia's Ghouls back to the recreation room and took a seat on the table while the rest of them made themselves ready for bedtime. Special opened the book and started reading carefully from the beginning. He knew that everybody would be asleep before he turned the page. And he was right. As soon as he finished the first one, the room was filled with soft purrs and Mountain's obnoxious snore. The older Ghoul stood back on his feet, walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. A gentle laugh escaped from his lips.

"Not even creatures from Hell can finish the first chapter of Moby Dick


	4. Day 4

Blue eyes stared from the bottom of the tub at the bubbles that danced to the surface. It was the most soothing thing from Rain's morning baths. His upper half of the body was completely submerged and his legs dangled from the edges of the tub. A pretty funny posture, but it was the Water Ghoul's favorite. He could spend the entire day in the tub if he wanted to, just staring at the distorted ceiling from underwater, but the alarm of his night stand clock sounded off. It was time to go. Slipping in a dark grey bathrobe, Rain took a seat on his empty cot —his mattress was still downstairs— and stared at the open door of his chamber's bathroom. A clawed hand reached out and suddenly, the water rose from the tub and became a large blob on the air. It shook itself from the dirt the Ghoul had on him the day before and slowly went back to where it belonged to. Rain received complaints about the water bills, so he thought that he could put his powers to a good use.

It was almost seven o'clock, the time the group got together to head to their church duties. They seemed to have a good night's sleep despite of the movie they saw the day before. Special really did them a favor by reading his book, Rain would thank him later for that. The chores toned down a bit since the Cardinal left four days ago. They didn't have to perform during the church rituals, so all they had to do was help the Siblings of Sin clean up afterwards. Then, it was time for rehearsals. Without Copia singing, there was more goofing around than actual work done: solo duets, exchanging instruments for fun, practicing holding their laugh at Swiss's dancing... Aether tried to keep everyone focused, but it was almost impossible. 'The Cardinal is coming back tomorrow and we have to prove that we've been doing our homework', he repeated over and over again, but his words were just overheard. Until the Special Ghoul came in to check on them. He stood in front of the door with his arms crossed until the rehearsals ended, he then walked out of the room towards his office. 

"Finally, I thought we would be having him babysitting us all day" Dewdrop sighed after the older Ghoul left. "Isn't he busy with, I don't know, speaking in public?"

"He doesn't do that anymore, I think" Aether replied, placing his guitar back on its stand. "He now deals with clergy memberships, fan mail and looks after the Old Man".

"What a pain in the ass he is" the Fire Ghoul followed his bandmate to the guitar stands to leave his instrument as well.

The door was opened wide as the older Ghoul made himself in, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Yes, he heard them talking behind his back. Dewdrop hid behind the Quintessence Ghoul instinctively, but Special didn't budge. He just stood there, shaking his head.

"Tomorrow is the day, so tone down the tomfoolery" his tone was serious, but not too harsh. It was more of a warning than a threat.

"Come on, we're done for today!" Swiss rolled his eyes. "We're ready to impress the Cardinal with our performance".

"Now that we're talking about Copia, should we throw him a Welcome Back Party?" Cumulus suggested. "He's going to be so happy!"

The idea of planning something for the Cardinal was a good one. Everyone put their instruments back and headed towards the recreation room. Everyone but Aether, who turned to Special with a grin.

"Hey, do you want to come with us?" he asked. The older Ghoul stopped to watch him from a distance. He didn't know what to do. Of course he still had some unfinished paperwork to deal with, but now that he heard that Copia's Ghouls were planning something, he felt the mighty need to supervise the whole thing. They already ran away from the church once, they would do it again.

"I can't, but I'll check on you later" Special replied. Still, it felt nice that the younger ones were counting on him for something like that. He waved the Quintessence Ghoul goodbye as he made his way to his office.

Back to the recreation room, they all sat down on the table to decide what do they need for the party. Since Special would be watching them, they couldn't run away back to town to get some decorations. However, Swiss had a better idea.

"We could steal the decorations from the nursery and paint them black" he suggested.

"Why don't we just ask the Sisters of Sin instead of stealing them?" Aether rolled his eyes at him. "Let's avoid trouble as much as we can, alright?"

"What happened to your sense of adventure, Aeth?" the Multi talented Ghoul put a hand on his shoulder and shook him a bit.

"Special stepped on it".

Mountain and Swiss would be in charge of picking the decorations while Cirrus and Cumulus work on a banner that reads 'Welcome Back Cardinal!'. Aether and Rain would work on making a cake —they knew that Copia had a sweet tooth—. Everyone seemed busy.

"And what do I do?" Dewdrop asked.

"You clean the recreation room and put the mattresses back to their place" Aether told him. "There's pop corn and crumbs everywhere".

The Fire Ghoul looked mortified. That meant having to deal with his worst nemesis: the vacuum cleaner. The Quintessence Ghoul told him it would be the perfect opportunity to get over The Incident.

"Wait, so it's an actual event?" Cirrus asked, her lips curling to a grin. "We would love to know".

"Alright, alright" the Fire Ghoul cleared his throat. "So, you know Aether and I also worked for the Third Emeritus, right?"

"Right".

"The Ghouls he had before us were wild and sassy, even more than the Papa. When we were old and ready enough to follow him and they were going to be sent back to Hell for general misbehavior, they pulled newbie pranks on us" Dewdrop explained, feeling a weight in his stomach. He couldn't go on. "It's too much. Aether, please".

"They woke Dew up by placing a vacuum cleaner on his face and didn't remove it for a solid minute while they laughed hysterically" the Quintessence Ghoul continued. "I think that's basically it".

While Swiss stifled a laugh, the others felt sorry for him. They helped him clear the mattresses and it was time for the Fire Ghoul to face his fears. Device plugged, heavy exhale, now it was time to turn it on. Dewdrop's hands were shaking. Rain stood on his feet and started rooting for him, soon followed by Aether and the Ghoulettes. Mountain just got up from his seat to turn the vacuum cleaner on: the faster the Fire Ghoul started working on it, the better. The smaller Ghoul got startled and dropped the rod on the floor, but the Earth Ghoul was there to help. Without saying a single word, he picked it up and placed it on Dewdrop's hands. He even told him how he had to do it. 

"That's so sweet of you!" Cumulus told the taller Ghoul, who blushed as soon as he heard the words. 

The Fire Ghoul had it under control, even if his hands were still shaking. The device was indeed harmless, but something about it still irked him. Rain sent Aether on his own to bake the cake and stayed in the recreation room to support his friend. He even took his place when Dewdrop considered he had enough. When they finished the cleaning, the smaller Ghoul buried his chromed face against Rain's chest and let out a huff as if asking to be held; the other obliged and started petting his hair. 

"Everyone was watching..."

"But nobody is going to think less of you. We all have our fears" the Water Ghoul let go of him and sat down on the table. "Even I do".

"Well..."

"I'm afraid of losing you, guys" Rain paused and fiddled with his clawed fingers. "I'd be doomed if Copia gets rid of any of you. Or if he gets rid of me, finds a better replacement and soon you forget that I even existed".

Dewdrop sighed. He had been in a similar situation years before, when he was still a Water Ghoul under Emeritus the Third's rule. Ifrit was a good friend of his and even if he wasn't with them anymore, he still remembers him fondly. He leaned against Rain's chest and nuzzled him, purring softly. 

"Nobody is going to forget about you".

Mountain and Swiss soon came back with the nursery decorations. They claimed they asked "Sister Denise" for them, but Dewdrop knew that there wasn't a Sister Denise: they just came in, stole them and rushed back. They even grabbed black paint in the way back in order to make them half decent. Soon, the Ghoulettes carrying a large banner joined them. Rain decided it was time to help Aether out in the kitchen. As soon as he stepped in, he wrapped his arms around the larger Ghoul and rested his head against his back. The Quintessence Ghoul relaxed his shoulders and turned around to hug Rain closer.

"Hey, you're finally here" he grinned. "Is Dew doing better?"

"He's quite embarrassed, but he will forget about it soon" the Water Ghoul looked over his bandmate's shoulder. "Can I help you?"

"I'm almost done with the batter. You should get the frosting ready. It's a red velvet cake".

They kept chatting and hanging around when they got everything ready and the cake was on the oven. They would have to store it in the fridge for the next day. Aether had a good feeling about this. Even if they did some mischief, most of the Ghouls were in a good behavior overall. The Cardinal was going to be so proud of them. When the cake was done, they entertained themselves with the frosting —even smeared themselves playfully with it—, they added a welcoming message on it and put it in the fridge.

When they got back to the recreation room, they found Cumulus sitting at Mountain's shoulders hanging the decorations with the help of Swiss and Dewdrop. Cirrus was sitting with Special, who joined the preparations late but brought some balloons he still had from the Third Emeritus's last birthday party. When they finished, they stood by the door and took a last look on the room: it was perfect.

"I must go back to my office" Special said. "And you should head to bed. Tomorrow is an important day".

Everyone nodded and headed upstairs to their respective chambers. They were going to miss the sleepovers and the cuddle piles, but it would be best if the Cardinal knew they were in their best behavior during his absence.


	5. Day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I apologise in advance for being an asshole.

The telephone at Special's office rang and he picked it up almost immediately. Sister Imperator had an important message to deliver. The Ghoul nodded in silence as he heard the words, feeling some discomfort in his chest. Something was wrong about her voice. She told him not to worry and, most importantly, he shouldn't let the Cardinal's Ghouls know. But Special wasn't like that.

"It's important for them to know the truth" he lowered his voice and looked around him. Nobody else was in sight. "He's their frontman, Imperator, and they care deeply for him".

"I don't want to repeat myself, Ghoul" she said from the other side of the phone. "You should stay close to the phone in case we get updates. We'll speak soon".

Special hung up, the weight inside his chest growing bigger. He was starting to feel ill for some reason. Sister Imperator wasn't aware of the burden she just dropped on the Ghoul's shoulders. But it wasn't that bad, he thought, it could be a misunderstanding. It had to be a misunderstanding.

It was Mountain's turn to feed the rats in the fifth day. He loved the little creatures, especially when they crawled on his shoulders and stared at him with their shiny eyes. However, he noticed a tiny change of behavior in Ratthew, Copia's favorite. The albino rat didn't even move when it saw him walking into the Cardinal's chamber. It didn't even want to eat. The Earth Ghoul sat down on the floor, reaching a hand out to Ratthew while the rest of the rats nibbled on his socks. He gently pet its head, its back, but got no reaction. He finally picked it up and cupped it between his hands. The rat's red eyes had a hint of sadness.

"What's wrong, Ratthew?" he cooed at the animal, his claws tickling its neck. "Do you miss Copia?"

No, that wasn't it. The albino rat bit Mountain's thumb and jumped off his hands, scurrying to hide under the Cardinal's bed. Black blood trailed down the Earth Ghoul's hand. He better rushed to the infirmary to get that checked. It was weird. Ratthew would never do that. Something must have happened to Copia. Once he got his thumb stitched, he gloomily went back to the recreation room.

"What's with the stitches, big guy?" Swiss asked, rising from his seat to take a better look of the thumb. His grin faded. "Who did that?"

"Ratthew" Mountain replied.

"Really?" Cumulus also joined them and put the Earth Ghoul's hand on hers. "As far as I know, Provolone and Ratricia are the biters".

Soon, the rest of the group approached the three Ghouls. The albino rat and the Cardinal were really close to each other and even if he didn't pay attention to it for a while —especially during tours—, it wasn't upset enough to bite. Aether took a few steps towards the door.

"We must tell Special about it" he said before walking out of the recreation room, soon followed by the rest of the Ghouls.

Slouched over his desk, clawed hands pressed against the stone mask's forehead, Special's unwellness was growing bigger. He jolted up from his seat when he heard the knocks at his office's door and let out a shaky 'come in'. Aether dragged Mountain inside to show his thumb to the elder Ghoul.

"He says that Ratthew bit him" the Quintessence one explained.

"It was acting weird too. Do you know what could have happened?"

He could invent an excuse or make up a lie, but that would only make the older Ghoul sicker. He chose not to say anything about it.

"It may just be in a bad mood today. Go back to your room to get ready for the party".

Right, the Welcome Back Party for Copia. He would be arriving soon, so they better got themselves ready. It would be wise to bring the cake out when he got there as well. When the Ghouls turned towards the door, Special told them to wait. He approached them, still shaking, and told them to take a seat. The Cardinal's followers now could see that the older Ghoul was, definitely, acting strange.

"Sister Imperator phoned a while ago" Special mumbled, trying to choose the most appropriate words to describe the whole situation. "She said that Cardinal Copia is nowhere to be found".

"What do you mean with 'nowhere to be found'?" Rain asked, tilting his head a bit.

"That he is missing. They've been looking for him the whole morning" the older Ghoul continued. "She told me not to say a word about it to you, but the silence was churning my insides".

Seven pairs of terrified eyes stared at Special and he knew that he screwed up. 

"Just... stay put. I'll keep you updated".

"Thank you, Special" Aether said while he stood up. "We'll do that for now. Let's go back to our room".

All the excitement the Ghouls may have had for their frontman's arrival was now banished. That's why Ratthew was acting weird, it knew that something awful happened to Copia. The silence continued even inside the recreation room. There was nothing they could do.

"Maybe he went to run some errands, who knows" Cumulus tried her best to reassure her bandmates, but Cirrus shook her head.

"If he was just running errands, Ratthew wouldn't have bitten Mountain".

It was then when realization hit them: the Cardinal could be hurt, or worse, dead. And if he was dead, they would be sent back to Hell and replaced. It was the worst that could happen to them. 

"I don't want to go back in there..." Rain mumbled, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't want to..."

And so the Water Ghoul started weeping, his hands covering his chromed face as Dewdrop and Cumulus scooted closer to comfort him. None of them wanted to go back in Hell. Mountain, Swiss and Cirrus stared at Aether, hoping he would say anything. He too was feeling anxious. He was fighting an inner battle between choosing to do the right thing and wait at the church or running away to try and find the frontman. Seeing everyone feeling so down after five days of fun hit him hard. He stood up and walked towards the door.

"I'm going to look for him" the Quintessence Ghoul stared at his bandmates over his shoulder "You should stay put".

"Are you nuts, Aether!?" Dewdrop rose from his seat and grabbed the rhythm guitarist's arm. "If you're going, I do too! What if something happens to you!?"

"If Dew is going, count me in" Rain also joined the two of them.

Eventually, the whole group sided with Aether and were willing to accompany him to the outside in order to look for Copia. They made their way to the backyard and they were surprised with a downpour without the need to use their elemental powers. It was a signal. They had green light to run away. Aether picked up his pace and headed towards the gravel road to the woods. They took that road most of the times with the tour bus, there was no way he could be wrong. Even if he had no idea where they sent the Cardinal. But he didn't lose his hope yet.

It was getting dark when the phone at Special's office rang. He picked up quickly and tapped his claws against the desk, waiting patiently for Sister Imperator's update. He felt the lump in his stomach coming back and muttered 'not again' to himself. He tried to remain as calm as possible.

"Ghoul, we found Copia" she said, her tone sounding slightly annoyed. "He locked himself in the cellar by accident, but he's fine".

"That's a huge relief!" Special sighed. "Are you coming back?"

"It's too dark and the road is dangerous, I know it first-hand" she replied. "Just inform his Ghouls and take the rest of your day off, would you?"

"Yes, Sister".

The day off seemed nice. He could try to look for stray cats and bring them to his office unnoticed, but first he had to tell the Cardinal's bandmates not to worry. It was dinner time, so they would still be awake. Special knocked on the recreation room door twice but received no response. He expected the worst and his theory was proven right when he stepped in: the room was empty. So were their chambers. Those mischievous creatures must have run away after he told them the news. It was time to alert the Siblings of Sin.

\--

Aether stopped running and dropped on his knees to the wet gravel. He was feeling tired, very tired and hungry. He wanted to go back, but the downpour didn't seem to end. It was pointless.

"Can't anyone here use their powers to stop that rain!?" he shouted.

"We would, but we're exhausted" Cumulus clung to Cirrus's arm. "We're trapped in the middle of the woods, Aether".

"Then let's try to find some shelter!" the Quintessence Ghoul suggested, finally getting up to his feet.

"There's no shelter around here" Mountain told him, serious. "I can make one, though. I have everything I need".

The Earth Ghoul crouched down on the side road and placed his hands on the ground. Mud, leaves, logs and branches dragged themselves to the spot and rose from the wet soil to build four walls, then cover it with a nice roof. However, a feeling of malaise overwhelmed him after he used his powers and he needed to lie down. When they were settled down, Dewdrop collected a few branches to build a fire, Rain was sent to hunt their dinner —he was the one who could actually hunt under a storm— and both Swiss and Cumulus went to check up on the Earth Ghoul.

"No wonder he's so worn out. His wound is infected" the shorter Ghoulette told her partner and Aether.

"I can take care of myself" Mountain sat up, but he was pushed down to the ground by Swiss.

"Don't do anything stupid or it would get worse" the Multi talented Ghoul frowned. "If Rain gets back soon, I might be able to treat it".

"I didn't know you knew first aid" Cirrus tilted her head, sitting with her knees up to her chest.

"That's why I'm called Swiss Army Ghoul. Powerless Ghouls are raised to be a 'backup', so they teach us a lot of different things" he explained, taking a better look at the stitches. "I need water to clean that up".

When Dewdrop came back and finished setting up the fire, Rain appeared with his hunting prizes. It wasn't much for dinner, but it would trick their appetite for a while. He and Swiss sat down to treat Mountain's thumb while the rest of the band sat around the fire, watching the flames dance. Aether seemed blue, sulking since the first instant they got in the improvised hut, and Dewdrop noticed it. He scooted closer to the larger Ghoul and rested his head against his shoulder.

"I'm a dumbass. I dragged all of you into this" Aether muttered.

"You didn't. We're here because we wanted to" the Fire ghoul replied.

The Ghoulettes also got closer to comfort him.

"You were worried for the Cardinal, what you did was the most loyal thing a Ghoul could do" Cirrus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "We'll stay here for tonight and we'll go back tomorrow in the morning. It will be safer". 

The Quintessence Ghoul nodded and lied down on the floor, closing his eyes in order to get some rest, followed by Cirrus. Dewdrop and Cumulus were still sitting by the fire, waiting for news regarding the Earth Ghoul's situation. They all knew that sneaking out again to look for Copia was a huge mistake, but they couldn't stay in the church waiting for news when their frontman could be in trouble. But they needed to get back. 

Once Mountain fell asleep, Swiss joined the rest of the group by the fire while Rain stood by the door, brooding over something. If he had been able to hunt during the storm, he could look for the Cardinal as well. He took a step outside and he let the rainfall splash his face.

"Where are you going?" the Fire Ghoul's eyes followed him.

"To look for Copia. You can all stay here"

Dewdrop frowned as he stood on his feet and stomped the way out to grab the Water Ghoul's arm.

"Nobody is leaving alone"

"I can take care of myself, I managed to hunt!"

The grip on Rain's arm got tighter.

"I said no!" the Fire Ghoul snarled, a row of sharp teeth peeking from under the mask. "It's too dark and you may get lost yourself! Or worse, killed! We don't know what kinds of hazards are out there!"

"Rain, please" Swiss decided to intervene. He walked up to the Water Ghoul and pulled him back inside the hut as gently as he could. "What if anything happened to us while you're on your own? What if it happened to you? With who am I going to goof around in my balcony during the rituals?"

That made him reconsider the whole thing. The two of them managed to finally drag him by the fire, and as soon as he sat on the floor, Rain started to cry in silence.

"Hey, hey" the Fire Ghoul nuzzled his shoulder with his head. "Get some rest. You're cold and tired, you really need it".

"Will you stay by my side?" Rain mumbled between sobs, wiping tears away from his chromed face.

"Everyone will" Dewdrop glanced over to Swiss, who was about to pass out while sitting next to Mountain. Cumulus had become Cirrus's big spoon a while ago. He pushed the Water Ghoul gently to the ground and lied next to him, clinging on his side and sharing some of his heat with his bandmate.


	6. Day 6

A distant rumble echoed through the woods at the first hours in the morning. It was the first thing Aether heard when he woke up, as well as Mountain's snoring. It seemed like a car engine. The Quintessence Ghoul took a last look at the rest of his group, who all huddled together around the now extinguished fire, before stepping out of the hut. His ears flicked and his tail turned upwards when he picked up the engine sound: it was familiar. He definitely had heard it before. Aether walked up to the gravel road and stood there with anticipation. As the car approached, the Ghoul's eyes widened. It looked like a black limousine with a grucifix badge on the hood: the clergy higher-ups were heading back to the church. Aether started moving his arms, hopping they would spot him. The car stopped, the driver's door opened and a grey-haired lady wearing sunglasses stepped out, her jaw dropping both in surprise and disbelief.

"Cardinal, isn't that one of your Ghouls?" Sister Imperator frowned, taking a few steps towards Aether. "Did he come here by himself?"

A man dressed in red also stepped out of the car and hastily approached Aether; the Ghoul couldn't hold himself and launched himself at the Cardinal, his strong arms wrapping around the frontman's shoulders and holding him tightly. He was fine, he was alive. There was no reason to worry anymore.

"Easy, easy" Copia gently patted his back. His Ghoul was covered in dirt and mud, he must have spent way too much time there. "Why were you here?"

"Special told us you went missing and we wanted to look for you" Aether's lips trembled. "I'm so sorry".

"And I told him over the phone not to say a word about it!" Imperator rolled her eyes.

"Don't blame him, Sister. They had to know sooner or later" the Cardinal let go of him and looked around for the rest of the group. "Where are they?"

Aether lead them to the hut and helped the higher-ups carry them to the vehicle. Exhaustion beat them the day before, so none of them even cared to wake up. The Cardinal went back to his seat in front of Nihil and pulled the Quintessence Ghoul's head on his lap to pet him. The old Papa frowned.

"If your Ghouls were tamed, none of this would have happened" he said with a rather harsh tone in his voice. "I think you're still not ready".

"So, you spent the whole week saying I was and now you take your words back just because my Ghouls wandered off?" Copia rose an eyebrow in disbelief. "At least they are loyal, you know".

"Don't make me slap both of you" Imperator warned from the driver's seat, seeing the church's architecture at the distance. "We're almost there. Once we get in, you should take the large one to the infirmary, Cardinal. I will have a talk with Special".

"I'm sure Special didn't have a choice" Nihil replied instead. "He is just there to look after me and deal with church work, he doesn't respond well to pressure".

The Sister rolled her eyes, pulled over to the backyard and helped Papa Nihil out of the car while Copia tried his best to wake up the Ghouls. Special, who was sitting in the porch feeding stray cats, rushed over the vehicle to make sure everyone was alright. They were alive, but pretty worn out after their adventure. The Cardinal helped Mountain up and lead him to the church infirmary; on the meantime, Special gave the rest of the Ghouls a disappointed look.

"Actually, no, don't say anything" the older Ghoul brought his hands up. "I knew you were going to run away".

"We're sorry" Aether mumbled. "But you should understand..."

"I do understand, I would have done the same".

Even if Special was fully tamed, it was comforting to hear that he would have risked his life for his superiors as well if he had been in their same situation. He placed a hand on Aether's chromed cheek and brushed away one of the mud stains, suggesting them a bath and a quick nap while he entertained the Cardinal. Special knew how much effort the Ghouls have put into the Welcome Back Party and it would be sad if they couldn't celebrate it. The rhythm guitarist nodded and headed towards the recreation room, followed by his bandmates, to freshen themselves up. They needed it.

Several pairs of eyes stared at the Cardinal when he opened his chamber's door. The closest to him, Ratthew, jumped happily towards its owner and climbed on his cassock as a greeting. It was just so happy to see Copia back. He placed the albino rat on his shoulder and counted all of them: no one was missing, they looked healthy and well-fed. The Ghouls had done a great job. He unpacked his luggage and focused on putting his things back to their original place until Special knocked on his door. It was time.  
When Copia walked in the Ghouls' recreation room, the lights turned on to reveal his Welcome Back Party. The place had even more decorations than before, the Ghouls blew party blowers and threw confetti as they showed their excitement —all of these were brought by Special, again, from the Third Emeritus' last birthday party—.

"Thank you everyone, I... I certainly wasn't expecting that" the Cardinal said nervously. "I don't know what to say".

"Why don't you just join us?" Aether suggested, a huge grin on his lips. He had a better appearance than before —that hot bath did well to him—. "We have a lot to tell you!"

"Aether and I made the cake!" Rain chirped excitedly, pulling Copia's arm to the table. "All by ourselves!"

He sat and enjoyed the cake and his Ghouls' company while listening to their stories. Screw what the higher-ups might say about them about not being fully tamed: Copia worked hard for them to feel comfortable and behave properly. And looking at them in that moment, they could carry out simple maintenance tasks. He was truly impressed. 

When the party finished, the Cardinal made himself comfortable and picked up his late-night book before heading to sleep. It had been a long day and he felt tired, both from the trip and the party, so he considered it was the best time to succumb into a good novel. A sudden knock on the door, though, brought him back to reality. After he gave permission to enter, his eyes widened as he saw the seven Ghouls standing at the doorstep, all of them carrying their blankets.

"We missed you, Cardinal" Aether's eyes shone with the light that came from the night stand lamp. "Can we stay here tonight?"

It was an odd request, but also a cute one. Even if he didn't want to spoil them too much, Copia allowed them to make themselves comfortable and spend the night there. Of course, they all went for the bed and he still doesn't know how he managed to fit the seven of them in there. However, it was nice to feel their appreciation: Ghouls were known to be ferocious creatures who needed to be tamed in order to get them to work with humans. In the night of the sixth day, though, that statement was hard to believe.


End file.
